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The Vipassana Blog: Intention

Once you decide to do something, the intention creates its own energy. This energy helps you overcome the obstacles that will always arise when you start something.

My wife Anila and I experienced this power as soon as we decided to sign up for the Vipassana course. The course is over two months away, but we are already experiencing the new energy. Our minds are more peaceful, our bodies are slowly tuning themselves to the Ashram routine.

Every day, we get up just a few minutes earlier. The first day after our intention, we got up at 6:30 am, the next day at 6:15 a.m and so forth. Ten days later, we are on track, getting up at 4:00 am, without an alarm.

For me, personally, the biggest problem is potty training. Before intent, I spent an hour in the thunder box, with my I pad and the newspaper. Today, it is down to 30 minutes , the stomach is still not happy with this new routine. Sometimes, I have to go twice. Anila is going through the same transition.

We now go to sleep a little earlier, by 9:30 pm or so. We are watching less TV, now. Somehow, CNN and world affairs seem a little less exciting now. However, we still use CNN as a lullaby;it has excellent commentators who can discuss the same topic again and again. After a while, the mind tunes out and we fall asleep.

We are a sleep deprived but we do have more energy. I discover there are advantages to getting up early and going to work early. I miss all the traffic, find better parking spots, and get to leave early, too. I am a little more productive at work, although the body demands more coffee.

That reminds me, we have to work on our food habits,too, in preparation for the Vipassana retreat.